“Tanzania – Land of Kilimanjaro, Zanzibar and the Serengeti”.  Those are the words that greet you when you visit the Tanzania tourist board website and those are the places that attract travellers from around the world to come to this stunning country every year.  Many travel to Tanzania to face the challenge of climbing Africa’s highest mountain, Kilimanjaro, which takes on average 5 days and gives you fantastic views of Kenya and The Crater Highlands.  Many flock to the Serengeti every year to witness the annul wildebeest migration, which sees more than a million animals make the journey to the north, and then the south, after the biannual rains. However, Tanzania has so much more to offer.  Tanzania has more land devoted to national parks and game reserves than any other wildlife destination in the world, these range from coral reefs to mountain ranges, making Tanzania a must for any hiking or wildlife enthusiast.  If you’ve your mind set on seeing elephants then Tarangire National Park in the dry season is the place to go.  It has some of the highest population density of elephants anywhere in Tanzania and before the rains, droves of zebra, gazelle, wildebeest and giraffes migrate here to take advantage of the last remaining grazing land.

Tanzania’s tropical climate has temperatures ranging from 10 to 20 degrees in the highlands and in the rest of the country the temperature rarely drops below 20 degrees.  It is hottest between November and February and coldest between May and April.  In the north of the country there are two rainy seasons: October to December is one and March to May is the other.  In most other parts of the country there is one rainy season running from December to April.  Tanzania was created out of a merger between Tanganyika and Zanzibar, which became independent of the United Kingdom in 1961 and 1963 respectively.  Tanzanians see themselves as having two official languages, Swahili and English, so being understood shouldn’t be a problem in the big towns and cities however it is always appreciated when a visitor can say a few pleasantries in Swahili.

Some things to bear in mind when travelling in Tanzania are to dress conservatively unless on a beach, always ask before taking pictures of The Masai people and prepare to pay them for the pleasure, and of course refrain from buying wildlife products such as ivory and skins as this market encourages poaching.

As far as food in Tanzania goes, it’s always best to ask for your meat to be well done.  Local dishes to be tried include Ugali (a polenta-style dish made with corn flour and considered to be Tanzania’s national dish) and Mtori (cooked beef and bananas).  If you find yourself longing for some western food, however, then you’re never too far away from Chips Mayai, which are chips cooked in an omelette.  This is considered a Tanzanian delicacy and can be found at nearly every African food stand.  Tanzania has great wildlife, warm people and many volunteering opportunities, so don't hesitate, find your perfect organisation here. Happy volunteering!

Click here to see a list of organisations active in Tanzania

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